Should Manchester United sign Gerard Deulofeu from Watford?

Manchester United fans have been begging their club to sign a natural right winger for some time now. Could Gerard Deulofeu be the right man for the job?

Gerard Deulofeu made headlines on Sunday after Watford came back from being 2-0 down to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup semi-finals to win 3-2 in extra-time.

The 25-year-old was brought on as a substitute in the 66th minute and scored a phenomenal goal not long afterwards – a curled lob from inside the box – to make it 2-1.

A Troy Deeney penalty in the 90th minute forced the game into extra-time – which saw Deulofeu rise up once more when he scored the winner in the 104th minute with a neat finish across the goalkeeper.

The forward’s performance coming off the bench at Wembley was nothing short of spectacular, and will no doubt catch the eye of some of the top sides in England and beyond.

Should Manchester United be among those interested in Deulofeu’s signature? Absolutely. The club have struggled to field a consistent front three for quite some time now due to a lack of natural right wingers in the squad.

Deulofeu can play on either wing as well as down the middle, so unlike Anthony Martial or Alexis Sanchez, he wouldn’t be picky when it comes to where he ends up playing in United’s front line.

The Spain international is a great dribbler, can put in a decent ball from the wing and has an eye for goal – three qualities which were all on display in the short time he was on the pitch against Wolves.

However, one drawback that could put off Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from signing him in the summer is admittedly a pretty signifcant one: his inconsistency.

Indeed, Deulofeu has struggled to put in good performances week in and week out throughout his career at Barcelona and Everton, and he was often loaned out to other sides in order to help him regain his form.

Nevertheless, he has appeared to turn things around since joining Watford last summer, having scored nine goals and registered five assists so far in all competitions this season.

At the age of 25, this is a great time for Deulofeu to finally be hitting his stride, and United would be foolish not to at least consider making a bid for him in the summer.

Although the Hornets will no doubt demand a higher fee from a fellow Premier League side, the Red Devils would have to pay a premium regardless of which club they were buying from, given their reputation – so this should not deter them.